To Possess
by RMoors
Summary: AU RL/NT. It's 1991 and something strange is happening at the ministry. It's down to auror-in-training Nymphadora Tonks and the lonely werewolf she's investigating to discover just what's going on.
1. Chapter 1

Lucius Malfoy looked distinctly uncomfortable in the shabby hotel room. The dilapidated décor (high ceilings with detailed carvings, the gold paint chipped away) gave the impression of grandeur now lost, much like Malfoy himself. The years after the war had not treated him well, his family's once enviable fortune thoroughly drained by the costs of freedom; bribes and legal fees. Unlike the room however, Malfoy was all about keeping up appearances. He was impeccably turned out in a splendid forest green cloak, perfectly tailored, coupled with expensive leather shoes. He believed appearance was the measure of a man.

He sniffed disdainfully and stepped further into the room, taking a seat in dusty old chair, coming into as little possible contact with it as possible. He folded his hands neatly in his lap and looked towards the woman opposite. She sat there like she owned the place, effortlessly at ease with her surroundings, a smirk on her face at what Malfoy could only assume was his discomfort. She leant forward.

"I won't beat around the bush Mr Malfoy." she told him "You know what I want. Can you deliver?"

Malfoy shifted in his chair, put on edge by the lack of polite formalities, his comfort zone. He'd hoped to string this conversation out, charm his way into her confidence and form a better deal for himself.

"You demand a lot."

"Do you forget what I offer in return? I demand only your loyalty and your support."

Malfoy couldn't contain a harsh laugh.

"You ask for significantly more than that. You ask me to put myself at risk… to put my family at risk. You ask me to put my wealth at risk, my reputation! I need a guarantee of your results."

The woman sneered at him.

"Your wealth? What wealth? You know as well as I do that you have frittered your money away over the years for power. That is not what I ask for. I want your influence and access to the ministry, the one thing you have in abundance. Give me this and you can have my guarantee, whatever that's worth. Remember, you need me as much as I need you."

Malfoy looked taken aback. He'd known coming in here what it was she wanted from him but had expected some power in the haggling process. She knew he needed this and would not let him off easily. He sighed, recognising defeat.

"Fine. My influence is yours. The ministry is yours. But remember who I am. What I can do! Betray me and I'll… I'll have you arrested!"

The woman laughed openly at him then, standing up and walking towards the door.

"You do that Mr Malfoy. I'll be in touch."

She left him, angry and humiliated in the shabby hotel room.

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"For the last time, watch your bloody feet Tonks! Do you think dark wizards will wait for you to get up?! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Alastor Moody stormed off muttering about incompetent trainees and the state of the wizard world, leaving Auror-in-training Nymphadora Tonks sat red faced on the floor. She clambered to her feet, brushing dirt off her trousers, silently fuming.

"Are you coming or not girl?" He called gruffly behind him. "It's high time you did a bit of useful work around here."

The useful work as it transpired was a mountain of paperwork Moody hadn't filled in. Moody was bureaucrat's nightmare, always pushing at the very boundaries of legality and refusing to fill in any of the resulting paperwork on time, leaving it instead to trainee aurors he was teaching a lesson to.

"This girl, is what you'll be spending your life doing if you don't learn a bit of coordination."

"This is what I'll spend my life doing anyway." she muttered under her breath. As Kingsley was so fond of reminding her, paperwork was 70% of being an auror. Unless you were Mad Eye that is. She huffed angrily.

Two hours later, and she was beginning to make a dent, turning the mountain into a large hill. The paper she was currently surveying was on a werewolf the ministry suspected of being allied to the death eater Sirius Black. Tonks sprang out of her semi-comatose state. Anything to do with Sirius Black immediately grasped her attention. He was her obsession, her reason for entering the aurors and her nemesis, even if he didn't know it. Tonks had adored him as a child as had her mother and it had broken her heart when she realised what he'd done. Tonks had sworn that she would never let something like that happen again and it had been an uphill battle. As the second cousin of Sirius Black, getting accepted into the auror training programme had not been easy and it was only due to Mad Eye's support that she'd got as far as she had.

Her eyes scanned the report, brows furrowing. This werewolf had not been properly investigated. He hadn't been interviewed at all! It was as if Moody only filed the report rather than doing a real investigation of the man. A werewolf too! A dark creature and a friend of Sirius Black! She picked up the report and set off in search of Moody.

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Remus Lupin had spent the last ten years going through the motions of life. He woke up at seven o'clock (nine on weekends), showered, dressed, breakfasted and went to work. He rarely had the same job for more than six months, employers quickly growing tired of his monthly absences even in the muggle world where he worked to minimise chances of exposure. He'd done many, many jobs. He'd stacked shelves, worked tills, walked dogs, made car parts, packaged ice, dug graves, driven lorries, served food, cooked food, grown food, shovelled shit on farms. If you could name a minimum wage job, he'd done it.

It had been ten years since Remus had essentially died. Yes, he went through the motions of life but that was all it really was; day to day survival with very little to interrupt the monotony of his life. He dreamt every night of his past be it dancing with Lily at her James' wedding as the other marauders catcalled, or sharing a joke with Peter as they spied on deatheaters, or playing with little Harry, or watching the trust in Sirius' eyes turn to suspicion. His life ended the day Dumbledore told him what had happened to all his friends. He retreated into the small cottage his parents had left him and survived. He was just grateful the ministry hadn't come knocking, something he was convinced Mad Eye was responsible for, one of the few people form the order he remained in touch with.

The transformations had got worse with time too. Without Sirius, James and Peter, the wolf was furious and confused, taking its frustrations out on Remus' body. Looking in the mirror, he was a different man than he had once been. Large scars tore his face and neck, his hair was going grey and he often had a limp. He couldn't quite bring himself to care though. He was free, alive, able to work and therefore able to survive, however dull and painful that was.

He'd never been a man predisposed to self pity but over the past few years, he'd clearly developed something of a skill for it. He missed who he used to be.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Harry Potter isn't mine, please don't sue me. Interestingly, it doesn't actually say in the guidelines you have to disclaim stories. I'm still not gonna risk it though. Thanks very much for the reviews and follows, I really appreciate it. My apologies for the horrendous amount of speech in this chapter and its brevity. It had to be done unfortunately.**

"Mad Eye! MAD EYE!" Tonks yelled as she sprinted down the corridor after the grizzled auror, documents clutched in hand.

"What girl? I'm not deaf." Moody responded, not slowing down, forcing Tonks into a strange trot to keep up.

"Well Mad Eye…" she panted "It's about… It's about… Merlin, will you slow down?" she gasped.

Mad Eye came to an abrupt halt causing Tonks to crash into him.

"Spit it out then lass. I don't have all day."

"It's about your report on the werewolf, Remus Lupin." Both of Mad Eye's eyes suddenly focused directly on her, searching her face for something. There was an unusual wariness in his voice.

"Yes, what about it?"

Mad Eye's unusual focus froze her to the spot.

"Well… erm… that is to say… I don't think…"

"SPIT IT OUT LASS!" Moody roared.

"The investigation is incomplete. He was never fully questioned-"

Mad Eye raised a hand, silencing her and took a step closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous growl.

"I've been doing this job before you were a twinkle in the milkman's eye. Are you questioning me?"

Tonks took a deep breath, and looked straight at him. As much as she respected Mad Eye, she feared him too and it was only his good opinion that got her accepted into the auror programme. If she knew one thing about him though, it was that he didn't suffer the spineless.

"Yes. I am questioning you."

There was complete silence for a good twenty seconds. That was until Moody burst into raucous laughter, slapping Tonks hard on the back.

"I've known aurors twice your age to shit themselves when I've used that voice. Come on then lass, walk with me. How do you feel about finishing off that investigation? It's about time you did a bit of field work."

* * *

Remus leant over his newspaper circling job adverts, chin supported by one hand. He was bored. Unbelievably bored. He'd been out of work for a few weeks now and was running perilously short of activities to keep him busy. He'd even briefly taken up sketching but quickly given that up. His mother had been kind when she'd hung his childhood drawings around the house. He needed something to do and desperately. His attempts to get another job had been fruitless and he knew this latest batch of offerings in the back of the Daily Prophet would be just as unforthcoming.

He'd spent the last ten years trying to keep busy and knew that if he didn't find some sort of distraction soon he'd sink back in to that void of helplessness and misery that he was in the weeks after Lily and James' deaths and that really wouldn't do. He was sure he was an awful person to be around and he valued any lingering dinner guest appeal he had left over after lycanthropy. A werewolf had to make do where he could and wallowing in self pity was not making do by any measure.

A sharp tap on the window jerked him out of his reverie.

An owl? He jumped to his feet and let it in, recognizing it immediately as the cantankerous old bird that belonged to Alastor Moody. He frowned and approached with caution.

Five minutes later, after a scuffle (which he lost) and then some bribery with owl treats, Remus had the letter in his bleeding hand, opening it as he cursed Mad Eye Moody and his fitting taste in owls.

_Remus, _

_I've tried to keep the ministry away but you know how it is. One of my trainees has found your uninvestigated file and as luck would have it, has a personal vendetta against Black so is keen to grab hold of any links to him and not let go. I'm sorry about this Remus, I know it's best left buried. Expect a letter from the ministry any minute now. You'll be brought in for questioning but I think that'll be the end of it. The girl's tenacious but inexperienced._

_Best of luck,_

_Alastor Moody_

Well thought Remus, as the ministry owl tapped on the window, I did ask for a distraction.

* * *

Footsteps echoed deep below the ministry. Under the grand building were a series of tunnels, spiraling out beneath London. They were originally designed to offer an escape for ministry workers during the bombing of muggle London, something the wizarding world was not entirely immune to. That purpose was long exhausted now though. Now, they harboured things best kept secret; Dangerous successes and terrible mistakes.

Everyone knew about the Department of Mysteries. They were scary stories told by children to frighten friends and whispers between colleagues. Very few people knew what truly went on behind those doors but people knew something was there. But no one realised there was something worse. No one knew about the creatures that prowled just underneath their feet.

A crackle of magic filled the air and a pair of eyes opened.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks again for the reviews and alerts, it's good to know people are reading and enjoying. Keep 'em coming. Just a heads up, i'm off on holiday for a couple of weeks, then I have exam results then I have a few days of drowning my sorrows, so realistically, it's gonna be about 3 weeks until the next update. **

Remus stepped in to the telephone box that marked the visitors entrance to the ministry. He'd dressed in his best clothes, combed his hair and shaved that morning, eager to make the best possible impression. He was by no means a vain man but he understood all too well that a werewolf turning up in ripped clothes, with tangled hair and few days beard growth would almost literally set alarm bells ringing in the ministry. He needed this out of the way as soon as possible and attracting more attention than absolutely necessary was not the way to go about that. No, he'd find out what all this was about, sit patiently through all the questions, answer politely then get out of there as fast as he could.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and the purpose of your visit." a pleasant voice requested once Remus had picked up the phone and dialled the appropriate number.

"Remus Lupin. Not a clue." he replied. And it was true. The letter from the ministry had simply requested his presence at the auror office with no further explanation. He knew from Mad Eye that this had to do with Sirius but to his knowledge that had been cleared up long ago, along with his name. He was curious though- an auror with a personal vendetta against Sirius and apparently everyone who'd known him. This was sure to be an interesting visit.

After a short time, a small silver badge appeared in the change tray bearing the words:

_Name: Remus Lupin_

_Business: Unsure_

__He pinned it the front of his robes as the box descended into the ministry.

"Please present your wand at reception for registration." the voice ordered as Remus stepped out into the atrium of the ministry of magic.

After doing as instructed he was directed to the already crowded lift and proceeded, after much jostling and nodding to vague acquaintences, to floor 2, the Department of Magical Law Enforcment.

* * *

Tonks took a few calming breaths. She was nervous and knew she couldn't show it. The man she was about to meet was possibly hostile, probably annoyed and certainly intelligent. She'd done her research and the man's school record was intimidating, on par with hers and she hadn't left the library for the last two years of Hogwarts, desperate as she was to get into the auror training programme. This man by the looks of it had scarcely been the most dedicated of students, amounting a number of detentions as impressive as his grades. she took another deep breath. She would not be intimidated by a man she had never met. She scrunched up her face and turned her hair a royal blue, a colour she hoped commanded respect. She doubted it somehow.

Standing up straight and taking one final breath, she swung open the door to the waiting area.

"Remus Lupin?" She asked with practiced casualness. scanning the room for likely contenders. There was a big bloke in the corner with a bad hair cut, a cool stare and a seemingly permanent sneer. that seemed about right.

She was surprised then when a fairly unassuming man stood up. He was shabbily but neatly dressed in clothes that almost fit him and a scarred and weary face. Not what she had expected at all.

"That would be me." He said. His voice was cool. He was definitely annoyed.

"Right, if you'd come with me then Mr Lupin. I am junior auror Tonks" With that, she walked back through the door she'd come through, holding it open for him and hoped he was following. After a minute of walking silently through the corridors of the department they came to Interview Room 3.

"Have a seat Mr Lupin. This interview will be recorded though at the current time you are not formally accused of anything." Again, a practiced line delivered with ease. She knew exactly what she was going to ask and exactly how she was going to ask it. She was going to get this bastard.

Lupin took a seat and gestured for her to continue.

"I assume you know why you're here Mr Lupin." That was the first thing she learned. Get them to admit they know something.

"I have no idea actually." He replied calmly. That threw her. He wasn't supposed to say that. He was supposed to admit some level of relationship with Black.

"Then let me clear it up. You are here to answer some questions-"

"Yes, I gathered that." He cut her off.

"If you'd let me finish?" She raised an eyebrow. Cheeky git. How had he managed to get her on the back foot after a single question? She was distinctly unimpressed with herself and was growing less and less fond of Lupin by the minute.

"By all means."

"You are here to answer some questions about your connection to Sirius Black. You knew him at school and remained friends after that. Is that correct?"

"That's right, yes." Lupin paused "Look, Auror Tonks. I suspect you have me here in the hopes of me revealing that I was in league with Black and continue to carry out various nefarious deeds in his name bound together as we supposedly are by a bond that stretches back to our childhood of frolicking though the grounds of Hogwarts together. Is that right?"

"Well, no that's not... I wasn't saying that you..." Tonks stuttered. How did this man make her stutter? Moody was the only one who got away with that! She would not appear weak in front of Lupin of all people.

"I'm betting you assume all this because of my status as a werewolf. Again, am I right?"

Tonks had thought deeply about this when Mad Eye gave her the case. Her knee jerk reaction had admittedly been one of suspicion but then she'd done some reading. Tonks prided herself on her thoroughness and the Lupin case was no exception. She'd stayed up late reading everything she could find in the ministry on werewolves and had reached the conclusion that her initial reaciton had been a prejudiced one. She believed strongly that prejudice had no place in the auror department and had changed her position on Lupin's condition accordingly. Her vibrance and energy tended to give people the impression of impulsiveness but when it came to her work, that could not be further from the truth.

"I don't see how that comes into it Mr Lupin. I suspect you of being in league with Black, your condition is irrelevant."

"Oh..." said Lupin "I... right." Ha. Now I have him thought Tonks. He was clearly surprised and that could only work in her favour.

"If you'd answer the question Mr Lupin. Were you and are you in league with Sirius Black? I know you were friends with him at school. I know you continued that friendship. I fail to believe that you didn't realise Blacks true allegiances. You and Black are the last survivors of your group of friends at Hogwarts. I don't think that's a coincidence. "

His eyes and voice went steely.

"Sirius Black was responsible for the deaths of my three best friends. He orphaned a child. He betrayed everything he fought for. Let me confide something in you auror Tonks. I hope he spends a long and miserable life in that cell of his Azkaban with nothing for company but the memories of the people he betrayed. I was led to believe that you had something of a personal vendetta against Sirius Black. I can guarantee you Auror Tonks, that it pales in comparison to mine. I think we're done here."

With that Lupin stood from his chair and strode out of the room without a backwards glance leaving Tonks sitting there in dumbstruck silence.

* * *

That could not possibly have gone more wrong for him if he'd planned it out himself he thought as he hurried through the ministry corridors. He'd exploded at a young, clearly hugely inexperienced auror who was just doing her job. He had meant to give clear, concise answers and had instead gone on an angry diatribe about Sirius, exactly what he hadn't wanted to do. He was angry at her too. The nerve of the woman! In league with Sirius? It was as laughable as it was offensive.

He had misjudged her though, that much was clear. When he'd seen her, all colourful hair and an air of suppressed nervousness he'd written her off as a flake. Yes, she was young and yes, she'd handled the interview badly but she'd treated him refreshingly fairly, bringing up not his lycanthropy but his relationship with Sirius. No wonder Mad Eye was fond of her. She was one to watch.

**AN: Hope you enjoyed it. I've written Tonks in this scene as a bit less ****headstrong than she appears in the books because it's her first case and anyone would be nervous. She'll come into her own though, rest assured. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: So sorry for the wait, life's been a bit hectic and i've been a bit lazy. Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate them so much. Hope you enjoy the chapter and I'll try to update a bit sooner next time. I also want to change the name of this story to something a bti less shite, so if this suddenly changes names, that's why. I've decided to include a 'previously' bit because frankly if I can't remember what's happened so far, why should you? So without further ado.**_

* * *

_Previously on To Possess: Tonks is in her final stages of auror training, Remus spends his life doing menial jobs and moping. Tonks, noticing that Remus was not properly investigated after Sirius Black's supposed murder of thirteen muggles, calls Moody on it who grudgingly allows Tonks to interview Remus. Tonks throws some quite serious allegations at Remus about his relationship with Sirius which he gets angry about and essentially tells Tonks off for. She realises her mistake and is fittingly mortified._**_  
_**

* * *

"He's going to murder me Claire." Claire was a pretty young woman a couple of years below Tonks in the auror training programme and was probably Tonks' closest friend. What had begun as shared amused glances at Mad Eye's antics had quickly developed into a firm friendship. They regularly met for coffee in the ministry canteen during the day and for a pint in the pub across the road in the evening. This was one of the latter occasions.

"I'm serious Claire. He is going to kick me out of training and then he is going to kill me and display my body as a warning to others." Tonks buried her head in her hands. Claire sniggered.

"Merlin, you have a flair for the dramatic. It'll be fine. He'll shout at you, probably in front other people, make you do more of his paperwork and generally be a bit arsey for a couple of weeks but it won't be worse than that." Tonks looked distinctly unconvinced.

"You didn't hear the interview. It was terrible. I wasn't in control; I had no idea what to say to him, I threw horrible accusations at him. I didn't think anything through and now Moody's going to kill me."

"He'll understand Tonks. It was your first interview, he'll know how hard it is for new…" She stopped as she saw Tonks' frankly incredulous look.

"I think we're talking about different men here Claire."

Tonks had grabbed Claire the moment she finished up for the day and dragged her straight to The Boar and Rose, the local pub, and immediately ordered several tequila shots, claiming a need to get drunk and quickly. They were still there three hours later and Tonks was no less mortified by her behaviour or terrified about the summons she had received to see Mad Eye the next day. She'd have to face him no matter what and now she'd have a hangover too. Fantastic.

After another hour or so of Claire's increasingly desperate attempts to cheer Tonks up, the two women decided to call it a night. Well, Claire decided to call it a night because as Tonks was getting progressively more drunk and maudlin, Claire was getting more irritated. She loved Tonks to bits but her tendency to blow things out of proportion and rely on Claire for platitudes could grate. It was safe to say then that Claire was fairly eager to get home and get some sleep, something she thought Tonks could probably benefit from too, so after some none too subtle yawns from Claire they went their separate ways.

* * *

Remus liked to walk around London sometimes, especially at night and especially when he'd had a day like he just had. It cleared his mind just watching people and there was truly no better place than Central London on a Friday night to do that. It was noisy, chaotic and generally ugly but there was nowhere he preferred when he needed a distraction. It was an intersection of suburban teenagers coming into the city, all high heels and lager, lary young men who worked locally going for a beer before they got the last train back to Wimbledon (or somewhere similar) and tourists simply enjoying the view. He considered himself in the final category. It wasn't pleasant by any means but if ever anyone needed to get something out of their mind for an hour so Remus couldn't recommend the stream of raucus laughter interrupted by sudden violence that Picadilli provided more. Just wandering through the streets watching all the other people just wandering through the streets was something Remus always did when the past got a bit too close for his liking as it had that day. Nosy bloody aurors. He shook his head to banish all thoughts of the bright haired, impertinent woman from that afternoon and focused instead on who was around him.

There was a young lad dressed in jeans and a polo shirt shouting at a towering bouncer, an action which would doubtlessly result in a ruck. A woman, his girlfriend perhaps, muttered something in his ear and the boy stalked off with his face intact if not his dignity. Remus smiled sadly; it reminded him so much of James, always picking a fight with bigger boys until Lily would step in and tell him to stop being so bloody stupid. Teenage boys didn't really change.

A girl walked past, dressed in a sturdy pair of jeans and a jumper and immediately drew Remus' attention away from the boy that reminded him so much of James. She struck him as unusual because she was unusually without a group of friends and clearly completely pissed. He frowned slightly, concerned, as the woman staggered and supported herself on the wall. Now, it is the first rule of social interaction in London that you do not strike up conversation with strangers, especially if you are a shady looking bloke on the wrong side of thirty and she is a very young, very drunk girl, unless you are the kind of person best avoided. He was prepared to make an exception here though because this woman could not walk in a straight line, was on her own in a dangerous city at night and most importantly had a wand sticking out of her back pocket.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Said a hoarse voice behind her as she regained her balance against a wall. A creep. That's all she bloody needed. She just wanted to get home unbothered and go to bed. She wasn't even that drunk, just clumsy. Well, maybe a bit drunk. Actually really quite drunk but that was not the point. There were thousands of drunks staggering around London and this guy had to pick on her. She fixed a smile on her face and turned round, ready to say she was fine and keep walking.

"Oh bollocks."

Remus Lupin. It was Remus Lupin. Of the millions of people in London it had to be Remus fucking Lupin.

He appeared to be equally horrified, his eyes wide and fixed unwaveringly on her, mouth clearly attempting to form words.

"Your hair's different." was his eventual effort. Tonks was briefly stunned.

"What? Yeah... erm... Sorry. I'm a bit... startled."

"I think that's something we can agree on." He replied with smile.

"What are you doing here Mr Lupin?" She decided that directness would probably be the best approach here rather than both of them stuttering at each other.

"I was just... walking I suppose."

Tonks suspicions were immediately raised. This was far too coincidental for her liking and Moody had always taught her that there was no such thing of coincidence. Of course that was utter bollocks, but so was Lupin's excuse.

"Just walking? At one in the morning? Through Piccadilly?"

Lupin looked amused.

"I thought the interrogation finished hours ago Auror Tonks."

Bastard. Absolute bastard.

"Yes, it did, didn't it? Well, it was a real pleasure talking to you Mr Lupin, I'm going home." And with that sarcastic retort she stumbled on down the street until a surprisingly gentle hand caught her by the shoulder. She spun round only to look into vaguely troubled eyes.

"Have I done something to offend you Auror Tonks?"

He was driving her insane. Truly insane. The only reason she was this drunk and he was talking to her was because bloody Lupin had flustered her earlier and then shopped her to Moody for the crap interview. Then he had popped up out of nowhere and made jokes about the interrogation. And he had the nerve to ask whether he'd offended her? Well she was done with this. She was losing her job anyway so she may as well have another go at Lupin.

"Yes actually, you have." She said, acid in every word. "You lost me my job and now you're trying to humiliate me. Is me getting fired not enough for you? Talk about kicking the dog when it's down." She felt tears prickling at her eyes. Merlin, she was as angry at herself for getting into this state as she was with Lupin. She bit them back and stared fiercely into his increasingly confused eyes.

"What on earth are you talking about? Get you fired? I didn't…" He ran a hand over tired eyes. "I don't understand what you mean. I had nothing to do with you losing your job. In fact I didn't even know you'd lost it."

He was genuinely clueless surmised Tonks. And she'd gone and accused him of something else. She wanted the earth to open up and swallow her. This day could not get worse. But wait, she thought as she felt a dampness on her cheeks, it just did. Lupin looked mortified. Tonks felt it. She wiped her eyes furiously cursing herself for appearing so weak. She was strong, intelligent and capable but every time she'd come into contact with this man she'd made an absolute tit of herself.

"You didn't tell Moody about the interview did you?" She asked him, already knowing the answer.

"No, I didn't."

"And you wren't trying to humiliate me?"

"No, I wasn't"

"And you're just here for a walk, not following me?"

"No, I'm not."

"And I have again accused you of something outrageous?"

Lupin smiled at this. "Yes, I suppose so. But entirely understandably given the circumstances. Moody fired you?"

"Well…" she said, considering what to tell him "Not yet. But after what happened earlier and ya know… the fact that I have a very formal looking summons to his office tomorrow, I'm taking it as a given."

"I think that's your problem Auror Tonks" he said, handing her a handkerchief to mop up the remaining tears. "You jump to conclusions. Just as I'm non friend to Sirius Black and not a malicious stalker, nor, I suspect, are you fired. I take it Alastor never told you about his first interview?"

_Alastor,_ thought Tonks. They were closer than she thought. She was curious about what Lupin had to say. He was certainly right about her jumping conclusions if today had been any indicator.

"No, he hasn't."

Lupin laughed. "Well, it went significantly worse than yours. He hospitalized a suspect. Hit him so hard he fell off his chair and smacked his head on the floor. Alastor was extremely fortunate he kept his badge after that display. So no, Auror Tonks, today did not go particularly well, but I think you can be forgiven. Everyone makes mistakes."

Tonks was stunned. She knew Mad Eye was capable of anger and violence but had never heard of him being so reckless. Perhaps Lupin was right then. It would be a bit hypocritical of him to fire her. It was kind of Lupin to tell her that considering what she'd said to him over the last few hours.

"Thank you." She said, unable to meet his eye. "I have spent a day misjudging you and I'm sorry."

"You're very welcome Auror Tonks. Thank you for apologizing. I must admit, you knocked me for six earlier. It's been a long time since someone mentioned Sirius to me and it came as a bit of a shock. You were just doing your job-"

"ineptly" cut in Tonks.

Lupin laughed again. "Perhaps a bit, but you'll get better. As you know, there's a lot more to being an auror than subtle questioning. You just have to glance at Alastor to know that."

That coaxed a laugh out of Tonks. Lupin's feet shuffled against the pavement.

"Will you allow me to take you home?"

Tonks was shocked and it clearly showed on her face as his eyes widened in panic as he realized what he'd just said.

"To your home obviously! Because you're drunk, not because I want to… it's just dangerous and it'd be safer if someone… I mean, if you're okay to get home on your own…. I thought… apparating… drunk"

Tonks was openly laughing at this point. It was nice seeing him commit the faux pas for once.

"I know what you meant Mr Lupin. And that would be good actually. It's a long walk home and I can't apparate like this."

He looked hugely relieved. She told him his address, took his arm and less than five seconds later they were at her front door.

"Thanks Mr Lupin."

"That's okay Auror Tonks. You could… you could even call me Remus if you wanted. I fear we're a bit beyond formalities." He was studying his shoes intently which struck Tonks as curious. 'Remus' though. It suited him she decided.

"I think you're probably right there Remus. Call me Tonks"

He looked a bit taken aback. She realised the cause of his confusion.

"Nobody gets to use my first name. It's awful."

He laughed.

"Perhaps we aught to start again Tonks. Considering our first and second impressions of each other."

She couldn't think of a better idea. She held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Tonks."

His warm, calloused hand enveloped hers in a firm grip.

"I'm Remus. Nice to meet you."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** **Just like last time, i'm going to include a 'previously' section so you can all keep up with the action without having to go back and reread.**

* * *

_Previously in To Possess: Tonks is in her final stages of auror training, Remus spends his life doing menial jobs and moping and Lucius Malfoy is concocting plans with a mysterious woman. Tonks, noticing that Remus was not properly investigated after Sirius Black's supposed murder of thirteen muggles, calls Moody on it who grudgingly allows Tonks to interview Remus. Tonks throws some quite serious allegations at Remus about his relationship with Sirius which he gets angry about and tells Tonks off for. She realises her mistake and is fittingly mortified. Something terrible has woken up below the ministry where the wizarding world's biggest mistakes are kept. Remus and Tonks meet again and after some more misunderstandings realise they've misjudged each other and agree to start again._

* * *

_"You could even call me Remus if you want"_, he repeated in his head in a scathing tone. What was he doing? She was many years his junior and he had absolutely no business getting to know her on her personal level. Absolutely none at all. And yet…

She was colourful. In many ways actually. He'd gone far too long with nothing in his life but his own misery and then this brightly coloured witch bursts onto the scene with wild accusations and short temper. It was refreshing and startling in equal measure. He barely knew the girl but he could certainly feel the draw to get to know her better. Not romantically, of course, that would be frankly ridiculous but as an acquaintance, perhaps even a friend. Enough of that though, he told himself, no use thinking about a girl he'd probably never see again.

He scooped up the copy of The Prophet that was sitting on his kitchen table next to his mug and began leafing through. A headline caught his eye.

_'MISSING MUGGLES MYSTIFY MINISTRY OF MAGIC'_

He frowned. What did muggle disappearances have to do with the wizarding world?

_A spate of suspicious disappearances in the muggle world have been linked to dark magic it emerged last night. Over the past three months as many as seven muggles have vanished from their homes, the only link between them is dark magical residue found on the scene of their disappearance. As of yet details have not been forthcoming about what has become of the muggles in question and who might be responsible for the crime. _

_Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, released a statement last night in which he made clear the issue was being thoroughly investigated and that muggle born individuals and their families should remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement._

_Several commentators have suggested that the hallmark of these disappearances is reminiscent of He Who Must Not Be Named at the beginning of his rise to power in the mid-1980s although Minister Fudge has been quick to refute these parallels. Despite the Minister's claims however, the state of high alert and anxiety in the Auror Department suggests that there is certainly a threat and serious one at that…_

Remus swallowed hard. He'd thought this had finished on that terrible Halloween. The hatred, discrimination and violence that had so coloured his late teenage years but this was exactly how it had started before. People disappearing, the ministry keeping quiet, and a constant, gnawing fear that everything was about to go horribly wrong. He needed to know what was going on. He couldn't sit around hopelessly hearing the reports of death like last time. He couldn't let there be another last time. He grabbed a quill off the table and began to write.

* * *

He was only bloody right, thought Tonks as she walked out of Moody's office with a grim look on her face. Remus had been absolutely right; she wasn't getting fired. It was in fact far, far worse. Moody had summoned her and several other junior aruors to tell them that as of today they would be put in a state of constant alert. They were to be available at all hours and of course constantly vigilant because someone was kidnapping muggles on Moody's watch. It was the first time she'd seen him truly worried. The disappearances had him rattled and he was taking absolutely no chances of letting another wizard supremacist gain a foothold. But it was going to be done by the book. No mistakes, no impulsive decisions and no unnecessary risks. Last time Moody had lost too many reckless aurors and he couldn't take that risk this time. He glanced briefly at her at that point she noticed.

Tonks wasn't so sure though. Voldemort had ripped apart the wizarding world and her family and there was no way she was going to let that happen again. She'd been too young at the time of Voldemort's power to truly appreciate what was going on around her but she remembered her mum and how she'd cry most nights about her sisters or about her dad or about her. Her mother was terrified. Until she'd found out about Sirius' betrayal that is then she was livid. Her one ally in the Black family was a filthy traitor and she'd never spotted it. Tonks would not allow that to happen again; mother's crying in fear for their children and husbands and families being torn apart by hatred and treachery. No, she wouldn't let it happen. That was why she'd become an auror in the first place. It was her duty and she'd do it whatever the cost.

By the time she'd reached her desk she was all for grabbing every bastard in Nocturn Alley and knocking them about until she got some information but as she sat down she noticed a letter, neatly folded, waiting for her.

_Tonks, _

_I know this is something there's almost certainly an endless list of restrictions about but I had to try anyway. Is there any information at all you can share with me about the disappearances? Is it Voldemort or a new threat? I watched too many people die last time this happened to ignore the signs of a new dark lord and I cannot sit by and watch something terrible happen in ignorance. I of course understand that that may well be highly classified information but I will take anything you can offer me._

_Yours faithfully, _

_Remus_

How interesting, she thought. Someone else who was prepared to get to the bottom of things. Maybe this was the way to go. She could do what she could through the official channels as an auror and unofficially work with Remus for all the bits the Ministry probably wouldn't approve of. This could definitely work. She was determined to nip this in the bud before more muggles could vanish and Remus was the obvious solution; a capable and experienced wizard coupled with her, a skilled witch with access to the latest information. Mad Eye would murder her in a painful and creative way without a doubt but if it helped stop whoever was doing this, she could accept that. She grabbed a scrap of paper off her desk and penned her reply.

000000

Remus glanced around the muggle pub, trying to spot the brightly coloured witch he'd come to meet. He'd been initially surprised at her response; a messy scrawl which read:

_Remus,_

_You're on. Meet me at The Sovereign at 8. It's round the back of King's Cross. I have a proposition for you. _

_Tonks_

He was intrigued. He'd assumed he'd get a response back that told him to sod off but instead it sounded like she was prepared to share what she knew.

"Wotcher Remus!" said a voice on the table to his left. He looked over and sure enough, there she was in all her pink haired glory. He smiled and walked over.

"Hello Tonks. I take it you still have your job."

She rolled her eyes.

"Yes I do and yes you were right. He didn't even mention the interview. You'll be pleased to know."

"Well, I hate to say I told you so" he said with a laugh. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Merlin yes, I'm gasping! A pint of IPA if you don't mind. Cheers Remus."

With that he smiled and walked to the bar disguising the war that was currently waging in his head. What was he doing? He could barely afford to clothe himself and now he was offering to buy a girl a drink? What was he trying to do anyway? This was strictly a business meeting, scarcely the time to be buying Tonks a drink. Not that he wanted to buy her drinks at another time. Down that road lay madness.

After scrounging up enough shrapnel from his pocket to buy a couple of pints he returned to the table, noticing Tonks nervously chewing her thumbnail. When she saw him she stopped, quickly replacing the worried expression with a big smile and reaching to take one of the pints of him.

"Thanks Remus. I think I'm going to need a drink for this." She took a big glug. "The long and short of it is that there's not much I can do as an auror. Moody's insisting on a by the book approach to the disappearances because he's worried he's going to lose aurors that way and, well, it's only recently that the auror department has enough personnel to work properly and he won't risk that."

He'd known enough of those lost aurors. James, Alice, Frank… Sirius. He glanced at Tonks. There was a war coming, he could feel it and the thought of her joining the ranks of the dead hurt more than it probably should. She noticed the look on his face.

"Alright there Remus?"

He blinked

"Sorry, that brought back memories. It's fine carry on."

She looked concerned but nodded and continued.

"You fought in the war. I've seen your file and you're a powerful wizard who knows what we might be facing." He blushed. "I'm fairly handy with a wand myself, I'm almost fully trained and I have access to what's going on in the ministry. I don't know about you but I think things are going to get messy over the next couple of months and I think official channels aren't going cut it."

"You want to team up? With me?" Remus was shocked.

Tonks shrugged. "If you're interested, yeah. We've both seen first hand just what can happen when things like this take hold and I want to stop it before it starts and I think you do too."

He studied Tonks' face intently. Of course, Sirius' cousin and Andromeda's child. She'd have seen first hand what treachery could do and how harsh and heartbreaking war was. There was steel in her eyes.

"Okay. Let's do it."

"Really!?" Tonks looked hugely relieved. "I thought you'd tell me I was mad! Right, next round's on me then Remus. We have some planning to do."

00000000

And plan they did. Tonks and Remus sat in their corner of the pub for the next couple of hours trying to work out what to do next. They decided their first move should be to talk to the families of the missing muggles and investigate the scene of the crime and then look at ex-death eaters to see what they were up to now.

Tonks felt alive. She felt like she was finally doing something useful she thought Remus felt the same. He became more and more animated as the plans formed and the drinks flowed, eyes lit up with excitement. She suspected it was the first thing he'd done in the last decade that actually interested him and it was strangely endearing. She was surprised at how much she was getting to genuinely _like _Remus. He was warm, intelligent and funny and she found her stomach would flutter slightly when he smiled or laughed at something she said. She realised that she was in danger of developing something of a crush on him which she thought was hugely inappropriate, particularly if they planned on working closely together. She wouldn't allow this operation to go to pot over a silly infatuation that she wasn't even sure she had yet. But a couple more drinks couldn't harm right? After all, they should get to know each other properly. And she'd definitely be buying. She'd worked out shortly after Remus had bought the first round that this wasn't really something he could afford to do. She'd let him buy so as not to make him uncomfortable but she'd quietly found an excuse to buy each subsequent drink, something he was clearly relieved, if slightly embarrassed about.

They soon moved away from talking about plans and started speaking about themselves. She'd tell him about Moody's latest paranoid outburst (stunning a 'suspicious' looking pigeon) and he'd tell her a funny story about one of the jobs he'd done (a particularly memorable one including a slippery floor, his boss's breasts and a disciplinary hearing). By closing time Tonks and Remus were equally pissed and staggered, giggling out of the pub.

"Walk me home?" Tonks asked, eager to extend the evening.

"Like you had to ask." Remus replied with a grin that made Tonks' heart beat that little bit farther. It was only walking this close to Remus that she realised just how tall he was. It was comforting in an odd way.

They wound their way down the street, shoulders bumping, towards Tonks' flat, both enjoying the still warm night and eachothers company. Strange, lolloping footsteps behind them ruined that. They both spun around but there was only an empty road behind them, lit with flickering street lamps which cast long shadows.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Tonks demanded, wand out.

"I was wondering the same thing." Remus replied, eyes roaming the street. "Can you hear that?"

Sure enough, as Tonks listened hard she could hear heavy breathing, interrupted by the occasional sniff.

Something moved in the shadows to their right. They swung their wands towards it, illuminating the area where something had certainly been. It was empty, only a bus shelter and an overflowing bin. Something brushed past her arm. she twisted quickly towards it. They were being stalked by something. They were both suddenly very, very sober.

"Tonks, I'd hate you to think me in any way cowardly but I think a rapid retreat might be in order." They'd moved closer to each other at this point, standing in the middle of the road rotating slowly, trying to catch whatever was creeping through the shadows with its strange, gasping breaths.

"I think you're absolutely right. On three, we leg it."

"One" A hedge row shuddered.

"Two" The definite sound of a foot scuffing against the pavement.

"Three" Were those eyes peering out from behind that car?

"RUN!"

And run they did. She felt like she'd never run so fast in her life, driven as she was by fear and the knowledge that whatever was following them was giving chase and gaining rapidly. Remus grabbed her hand and dragged her along behind him, forcing her to keep up with his long strides. Suddenly he veered sharply off and dragged her into an alley, pushing her against a wall and covering her smaller frame with his larger one. A twice muttered "_callamitatis" _and the sensation of an egg being cracked over her head indicated a disillusionment charm had been cast on both her and Remus. It was quick thinking and she could only hope it worked. Her face was buried in Remus' chest, a sensation made particularly odd by the fact that she could see through it as his body took on the appearance of whatever was behind it. What was behind it now was a hulking dark shape, which moved oddly gracefully through the alley pausing sometimes to examine a spot with its big white eyes, like a spotlight, and it was looking straight at her. She positioned her wand so it poked out by Remus' hip, trained directly at the creature. There was no point though. She didn't want to give away their position when she didn't know what spell to use. They needed to get out of there. she knew she'd had too much to drink to safely disapparate but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I'm going to disapparate us. Hold on." She said, whispering so quietly Remus had to strain to hear it, despite their proximity. She felt him nod and tighten his hold on her.

And with a crack they were outside her flat, still entwined. Neither of them immediately let go, both relishing the safety of the quiet hallway outside Tonks' flat. Eventually, they stepped away from eachother.

"What on earth _was_ that?" Tonks demanded. "I've never seen anything like it. Have you?"

Remus shook his head. "I didn't get a good look. What did you see?"

"Not a lot really. It was massive but moved gracefully… it sort of filled the space if that makes sense. Like it didn't one shape. It had white eyes… massive white eyes. That was the only part of it I could really see. Have you ever heard of something like that?"

"I… I don't know." Said Remus "I consider myself something of an expert on dark creatures but that… that thing. I don't know. I'll look into it though. If something like that is roaming London… well. You should tell the ministry. I don't know what that was but I'm sure it was dangerous."

"I'll tell them tomorrow. Right now I need a good night's sleep. Nothing like raw terror for tiring you out." She said with a forced smile.

"I'll leave you to it then, let you get some sleep. I'll write tomorrow." He replied "Be safe." With that he pulled out his wand, clearly ready to apparate.

"Remus, wait!" Tonks said suddenly. He stopped and looked back at her just as she pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you" She whispered into his ear. "I think that disillusionment charm saved us. I owe you one." She pulled back "Look after yourself Remus. We'll speak soon."

He looked unable to form words and just nodded quickly, spun on the spot and was gone with a crack.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Finally a bit of plot for you. Let me know what you think, reviews really encourage me to keep going although i'm not the type to hold a story hostage. Thanks for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Apologies for the delay, it's all been a bit hectic. I'll try to be a bit more prompt next time but I'm promising nothing because I've said that before and it's been bollocks. Thanks so much for the reviews, they really do keep me motivated to write. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Previously: Lucius Malfoy is planning something with a mysterious woman, something's woken up under the ministry and muggles are disappearing. Remus and Tonks have teamed up to get the bottom of it but so far have only managed to get chased by a strange creature through London.

* * *

Remus flicked through the eighth book he'd picked up that day from his personal collection. Again, absolutely nothing. The creature that had chased him and Tonks a few nights ago didn't appear, even in reference, in any of the key texts on magical creatures. He was truly stumped. He slumped back in his armchair, running a hand through his hair in frustration. How was it that something that unsubtle, that hunted in the middle of a city, that exuded pure menace was apparently previously unheard of? And was it just coincidence that the creatures appearance coincided almost perfectly with the muggles disappearing? Somehow, Remus thought not.

Perhaps then it would be best to start by investigating the muggles in question. If the two were connected, the key to the monster may well lie in the disappearance of the muggles and once they'd found the creature, he had an uncomfortable feeling in his gut that they'd find those missing people too. And he doubted they'd be alive and well.

He picked up a quill and scrawled a quick note to Tonks. He was eager to get on with it and though he appreciated she had a hugely full on job, he also knew there was no time to wait.

_Tonks,_

_No luck at this end. The creature's mentioned nowhere in my books and I fear it won't be elsewhere. I think it's time for us to take on a bit more of hands on approach. I will meet you at your flat at eight this evening, if it suits you of course._

_Hope you're faring better than I,_

_Remus_

The plan they'd concocted together was in equal measures stupid, risky and illegal but it was the only way they could think of to get what they needed. That didn't stop Remus from feeling terrible about it though. While he was sat at home unsuccessfully researching a creature that apparently didn't exist, Tonks was putting her livelihood and freedom on the line 'liberating' documents pertaining to the missing men and women from the ministry. He couldn't have been more impressed by her. At her age he, Sirius, James and Peter were fighting Voldemort, certainly, but that was very different. That was an immediate matter of life and death; their own, their families and their friends. Tonks didn't know any of the muggles at risk personally and yet she was putting everything on the line because she believed it was the right thing to do. If he was honest, he was a little bit in awe of the woman.

And he was scared.

She was something bright. Clever, funny and energetic and he had a terrible feeling that she was going to lose that spark very soon. That she was going to see things and do things that would take part of her with them. He'd seen it before in the war. It only took one act, one rash decision and then everything was different. He remembered it with Sirius. They'd been called out together on a mission with the Prewett brothers to have a look round a hotbed of death eater activity. It was a trap. They were ambushed and outnumbered and Remus' resounding memory was of swirling black cloaks dancing through the night, lit up by the flash of coloured lights as they fought for their lives. He couldn't see the others, only hear their shouts as they flung curses at the shadows, it was all he could do to keep track of himself really. And then, before it had really started it was over. Sharp cracks filled the air and they were alone again. He collapsed against the wall, gasping for breath not looking up tip he heard a choked sob. Sirius. He looked up sharply and saw Sirius' silhouette hunched over a body. As he approached he saw the glimpse of the silver face on the man Sirius stood over. A death eater.

"I... I killed him Remus." He stammered out, looking up at Remus with desperation in his eyes. "I killed someone."

That had been the moment Sirius hardened. His smile never quite reached its fullness after that. There were less jokes, less laughter and less _Sirius._

Of course Sirius had turned out to be a filthy traitor and it was probably an ally of his he'd killed that night but Remus still remembered that haunted look on his face as he looked up and told him he'd killed someone.

And the same thing would happen to Tonks. She was an auror, and seeing the worst the wizarding world had to offer was in the job description but he was going to protect her from that for as long as he could. He'd lost his youth when he was bitten and Sirius had lost it when he killed that death eater and it had aged them by years. Yes, he'd protect Tonks, though she'd scoff at the idea, not necessarily from her enemies (after all, he suspected she was far more capable than he was) but from herself. She was too reckless by far and that would surely be her downfall. What on earth was he doing dragging her into this mess?

* * *

She was indeed faring better than Remus, she thought to herself after examining his note. Barely. Her nerves were shot and she'd be twitchy for the next few hours but she'd managed it. It had been quite simple really. She'd asked Moody for the files, claiming she had to double check something and after narrowing his eyes in suspicion at her, he'd reluctantly handed them over.

"You're up to something girl." he'd growled at her "I can sense it and I _will _find out what it is."

She'd nearly bolted at that but pulled herself together. Confidence was key.

"This is the third time you've accused me of being 'up to something' this month, Mad Eye. Leave it out!" She'd said with a grin, taking the files from him.

"And one of these days I'll be right. I've got my eyes on you." He gestured to his glass eye "Especially this one."

With that, she'd practically ran back to her booth setting the files down and pulling out a quill and piece of parchment. There were charms on the files to stop any reproduction, copying or cloning charms so she'd have to do this manually. As daunting as the files looked, the writing itself was largely jargon so it wouldn't be hard to whittle it down to the bare essentials she and Remus would need. Name, age, date of disappearance, home address, location of disappearance. That's all they'd need for now.

There was a nervous flutter in her stomach. She was quite excited if she was honest with herself. Her dad had spent a lot of Sunday afternoons sleeping off a big dinner in front of a bad detective programme and Tonks had always watched with him, straining to hear the telly over his snores. Of course, real crime detection was nothing like that, least of all because she had magic. There was something about her and Remus' subterfuge that was reminiscent of those dodgy detective shows. Maybe it was because she had a 'Partner'. She'd never had one of those before, only people she'd done shifts with. Maybe it was the whole good cop/bad cop thing. Or rather straightlaced werewolf/rebellious auror, though she'd never seen that programme. Either way, it felt like she was doing what she'd always wanted to be doing. Doing the right thing and looking bloody cool in the process.

That didn't mean she wasn't scared though.

Several hours later the knock came on her door. She bounded up from her sofa to answer, strangely excited about seeing Remus again. He wasn't the kind of person that Tonks usually got on with; quiet, sensible and _older_, but there was something about him that drew her to him. She really liked his company. He was funny and interesting and different and she'd oddly really enjoyed that night they'd spent at the pub- before getting chased by whatever it was roaming London that night of course.

She opened the door greeting him with a big smile and "Wotcher, Remus!"

She'd expected a grin back but instead received a terse smile and a muttered greeting as he walked through the door.

"You alright?" She questioned with a frown.

"Yes. Yes, fine, thank you for asking." He was unusually reserved, even for Remus' standards.

"Are you sure? Cos you look like your hamsters just died."

That coaxed a more genuine smile out of him. He finally met her eyes.

"I'm just nervous I suppose. It's been a while since I've done anything like this." He said as he helped himself to a seat at her kitchen table.

"You've been drunkenly chased by a monster, stolen strictly classified files from the ministry and illegally investigated the disappearance of a group of muggles before? I guess it's been a while for me too." She responded, a glint in her eye.

This got a chuckle from him and Tonks grinned proudly. She liked making him laugh.

"Well, yes, I suppose not exactly like this. I just meant…" He paused, studying his hands intently as he picked at the corner of his thumb "You will be careful, won't you Tonks? It's all too easy to rush headlong into something like this and find you've bitten off more than you can chew." He glanced quickly up to gauge her reaction.

Was he serious? She was almost a qualified auror, perfectly capable of assessing a situation and making sensible decisions. Well, most of the time. That cheeky bastard. She knew it was partly concern for her which was… sweet, she supposed, if you liked that sort of thing but it did rankle. She didn't need his concern; she needed his respect. There were enough people over the years that didn't think her capable for her to put up with it from a friend and a collaborator.

She raised her eyebrows and took a deep breath, ready to deliver a scathing retort.

"I think you'll find Remus, that I am perfectly good at… chewing and haven't bitten off too much at all. In fact I'd say I'd bitten off exactly the right amount to effectively… erm… ingest. So… yeah…"

He was laughing at her. Not out loud, admittedly, but she could see it in his twitching lips and the sparkle in his eyes. She felt flushed with anger.

"No! You don't get to call me incompetent then laugh at me. If we're partners in this, you need to respect me as one."

He immediately sobered.

"I'm sorry for laughing, but I don't remember calling you incompetent Tonks. Don't put words in my mouth. I am concerned, not just for you, but for both of us. We're moving very fast and we should exercise due caution." There was a not of steel in his voice Tonks hadn't heard before. "I have the upmost respect for you as it happens."

"Then trust me to act professionally. There's a lot resting on us pulling this off and for that to happen we need to absolutely trust the other. If you think I'm being reckless, then say so but I don't think I am. I think I'm doing my job." She fixed him with a fierce look.

He leveled his gaze at her for a long moment then slowly nodded.

"Okay. You're right. We do need to trust each other but we need to be careful as well. For now though, we've got some planning to get through." He gave a small smile. She recognised it for the peace offering it was and returned the gesture.

"Let's crack on then. We've got some interviews to get ready for."


End file.
